Audio Compositor (version 1.0)
------------------------------

Audio Compositor is software for realizing standard MIDI files as
digital audio.  It runs on Windows 95, and on Windows NT 3.51 or 
above.  It also appears to run on Windows 3.1 with version 1.30 of
the Win32s extensions, but only a cursory test was done on this
platform.

While Audio Compositor is fully documented in AC.HLP, you can set
up the program quickly by following the directions below.  The
distribution includes a set of classical guitar samples and a MIDI
file with which you can do a test run.  Please note that these
demonstration files were chosen for their small size and not for
their quality.  (A complete apology is in the help file!)

Version 1.0 of Audio Compositor is freeware, but copyright is
retained by the author.  It should be considered beta software 
and undoubtedly contains bugs; please read the disclaimer below.  
Questions, suggestions, and bug reports may be directed to 
Scott Mitchell <mitchell@eden.com>.


Installing Audio Compositor
---------------------------

There is no "setup" program for Audio Compositor; simply unzip
the distribution into a directory of your choice.  If you unzip
with the directory structure intact, there is nothing more to
do; otherwise you must move the guitar samples to a subdirectory
called Samples\Guitar under the directory where the program is
installed.  For example, if you placed the files in

   d:\Dubious-looking-software\Ac

then the twelve guitar samples should be placed in

   d:\Dubious-looking-software\Ac\Samples\Guitar

If you set up icons or shortcuts to start Ac.exe and Acoe.exe,
set the working directory (the "Start in" field under Win95)
to be Audio Compositor's main directory.


The "Leyenda" Example
---------------------

Audio Compositor comes with one MIDI file, an abbreviated
version of Isaac Albéniz's "Leyenda" that is prepared to
work with the included guitar samples.  To try it:

    1.  Run Audio Compositor (Ac.exe) and open Leyenda.mid.

    2.  From the Edit menu, choose "Settings".

    3.  Move to the "Constants" tab in the Setup dialog.
        Reduce "Output Sample Rate" to 22050 (we're assuming
        that your sound card supports this rate) and be sure
        that "Stereo Output" is not checked.  If you have a
        Pentium or faster CPU, these milquetoast precautions
        probably are not needed.  "Attenuation" should be
        set to 12 dB for this file.

    4.  Click "OK" to dismiss the Setup dialog.

    5.  Be sure that the the "Audible" button (loudspeaker 
        icon) is depressed--this turns on real-time output.

    6.  Click the "Go" button.

If you hear gaps in the playback, Audio Compositor is not running
fast enough to create its output in real time.  This won't affect
its ability to produce good .WAV file output.  To create an output
file, repeat the steps above but specify an "Output File Name"
under the "Files" tab of the Setup dialog (you will need about
5 megs of disk space).

In the "Leyenda" example, you will hear some hesitation after
each of the strummed chords later in the piece.  Guitarists
generally don't try to play this passage in strict time, and
the MIDI file contains tempo changes meant to approximate the
usual practice.  It's not a symptom of any timing inaccuracy
in Audio Compositor.


Disclaimer
==========

Audio Compositor is, and perhaps always will be, experimental
software.  The author makes no warranty of any kind as to its
suitability for any purpose.  You may use it only if you agree
to do so at your own risk.